Rachel's Tragedy
by AbbyLockhartCarter
Summary: Rachel gets beaten by her play director, elizabeth is there by her side through it all.
1. Default Chapter

It was a normal night in the Greene household. Elizabeth at the stove making dinner for the family, Mark reading some medical magazine and Ella in her swing, bouncing up and down and cooing.  
  
"Mark, I don't know what's keeping Rachel. Its 7:00, she usually gets home from play rehearsal around 6:00." Elizabeth said worriedly.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much, Lizzie, she's a responsible girl. The rehearsal probably just ran late, its near performance time you know." Mark replied, trying to talk over the ringing telephone.  
  
" You're probably right," sighed Elizabeth as she ran to answer the phone.  
  
Elizabeth answered the phone and within seconds, her eyes filled up with tears. Alarmed, Mark sprang from his chair to go comfort his wife. Elizabeth hung up the phone and said in a quiet voice "Its rachel"  
  
Elizabeth took Ella in her arms and ran with Mark to get in the car. In a flash they were at the hospital and in the room where Rachel lay.  
  
After settling down, mark managed to ask Rachel's friend, Sara what happened.  
  
The small, red-headed girls eyes were streaked with tears as she told the panic-stricken Mark and Elizabeth what happened to Rachel. " We were in drama and Mr. Mac had just finished blocking Rachel's big scene. As we were rehearsing, Rachel looked a bit pale but none of us thought anything of it. Then the next thing we knew she was laying on the stage barely breathing…" Sara stopped talking, for she could feel her whole body start to shake. With her own eyes filled with tears, Elizabeth directed Sara over to a bench where they both sat down sobbing, with Ella on Elizabeth's lap. Meanwhile, Mark was examining his weak daughter.  
  
"Oh God," said Mark and dropped to his knees.  
  
Elizabeth dashed over to her husband. "What? What is it?" asked Elizabeth, worriedly.  
  
"I just want her to be okay," Mark said between sobs.  
  
"It'll be okay Mark," lizzie said in her comforting tones.  
  
Meanwhile, Sara was sitting on the bench, tending to the fussy Ella. Elizabeth looked over at Sara and mouthed thank you, which made Sara smile.  
  
Just then, Rachel's monitors began beeping wildly. "She's crashing!" yelled mark, "Somebody go get help!" mark cried.  
  
Sara ran out of the room and screamed into the hallway " Somebody, we need help!" but there was no answer. Sara ran down the stairs to the ER and bumped into Abby who was on her way to get coffee. "Hey, Hey slow down!" Abby said, not realizing that the little girl's eyes were filled with fear. Her voice softened, "Can I help you?" she asked.  
  
"Its my friend, upstairs, the doctor said she needs help!" Sara said between sobs and began to run back upstairs, followed by Abby. They both ran into the room to find Mark and Elizabeth standing over Rachel who was stable at the moment.  
  
"She's okay now," Mark explained to Abby.  
  
"Wait a minute, whose patient is this?" Abby asked, a little confused.  
  
"This is my daughter," Mark replied, a bit frustrated.  
  
"Oh God, Mark, Elizabeth, I am so sorry. Can I get you guys anything?" Abby asked guiltily.  
  
"No, no we're fine, thank you Abby," Elizabeth said gently.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Unraveling mysteries  
  
Time passed and Sara went home and told Mark and Elizabeth to please update her on Rachel's condition.  
  
"She's a sweet girl," Mark said, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Rachel always told me that she was her best friend. She was always so excited because a senior was actually her friend which is a cool thing for a freshman you know," Elizabeth said and laughed a bit. Mark joined a bit in her laughter.  
  
Just then, Mark noticed his daughters eyes begin to open. "Rachel, can you hear me?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Elizabeth? Dad?" Rachel asked, her eyes full of fear.  
  
"Its okay sweetie, you're alright!" Said Mark with excitement as he kissed his daughter's forehead.  
  
"Rachel, you must tell us what happened," Elizabeth said in a serious voice, rubbing her step-daughter's arm  
  
Rachel's eyes filled up with tears.  
  
"It was Mr. Mac."  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Lizzie sat next to Rachel rubbing her arm as Rachel winced in pain. " Sweetie? Where does it hurt?" Elizabeth asked  
  
"Right here," Rachel managed to whisper and pointed to her arm.  
  
Lizzie lifted her stepdaughter's sleeve and to her horror found her arm covered in bruises. Lizzie put her hand to her mouth.  
  
"Oh God, Rachel what the hell happened to you?" lizzie asked, now in a stern but soothing voice.  
  
"You really want to know?" she asked, hoping they would drop the subject.  
  
"Honey we want to help you!" Elizabeth said, staring into the wide eyes of her 15-year old step-daughter.  
  
"Ok," Rachel took a deep breath and began to tell her story.  
  
***********************FLASHBACK**************************************  
  
"No Rachel. That is all wrong," Mr Mac yelled at Rachel. " You must act happy in this scene. We want the audience to be happy, not feel like they are going to a funeral! This is Mama Mia not Les Mis! Now do it right or I'll have to give the part to Annette."  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Mac." Rachel said quietly.  
  
"You better be sorry!" Mr. Mac said and gave Rachel a breathtakingly painful punch in the arm.  
  
I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry-  
  
Suddenly the sound of a door opening to the auditorium and the sound of her best friend's voice awoke her from her thoughts. "Hi ya Rach!" Sara said in a cheerful voice  
  
"Hello Sara," Rachel managed to say before spilling out all of her tears.  
  
"Oh God, Rach! What's wrong?" asked Sara, pulling her friend into a tight hug.  
  
"I'll tell you later, I have to go onstage now, its our big scene together." Rachel said, wiping the tears from her eyes.  
  
"PLACES EVERYONE! PLACES!" Mr. Mac yelled, "I AM GIVING YOU 5 SECONDS TO GET INTO YOU'RE PLACE OR YOU ARE OUT OF THIS PLAY! 1, 2, 3…"  
  
"Come on!" Sara exclaimed and pulled her friend along.  
  
"Honey, Honey how you thrill me, uh huh, Honey Honey."  
  
Rachel felt a wave of dizziness as she was singing her part of the song. And then it all went blank….  
  
*********end of flashback**********  
  
"And that's all I remember." Rachel said as she buried her face into Lizzie's warm cardigan sweater.  
  
Lizzie too was crying, sympathizing for her step-daughter. Mark was sitting on the bench, Ella asleep on his lap, as he stared at his daughter in awe. 


	2. more unraveling of mysteries.

"I'm just so scared…" Rachel said still buried in Elizabeth's sweater.  
  
"Its okay sweetie. Mark we should order a rape kit just to make sure."  
  
Mark said nothing but nodded his head in agreement.  
  
Just in the nick of time, Abby came up to check on the three of them. "How are you, sweetie?" she asked when she noticed Rachel's brown eyes filled with tears.  
  
Elizabeth pulled Abby out of the room and explained to her what happened. She then orders a rape kit and Abby disappears to the supply room.  
  
Abby came back with the rape kit and performed the standard procedure. A few hours later Abby came up to the room to share the results with the worried father and step-mother.  
  
Finally, Abby came into the room with a serious expression on her face. "Mark, Elizabeth, we need to talk." Abby said, her voice filled with fear. "The tests were revealed that Rachel was in fact raped. Now the fact that she passed out is because Rachel…is pregnant." Abby said and left the room so that the two doctors could talk.  
  
"Oh God Mark, what are we going to do? She's only 15-years old! Can she handle this?" Soon Elizabeth's eyes were filled with tears and she had her head buried in Mark's chest.  
  
"Shh, its going to be okay, Elizabeth." Mark said, his eyes filled with tears as well."  
  
"Mark, We should tell her." Elizabeth said, solemnly  
  
Mark agreed and they both went back into Rachel's room and sat on her bed. Elizabeth did all of the talking.  
  
"Rachel, Mr. Mac did rape you and you are pregnant, that is why you passed out." Elizabeth said quickly, she didn't want to upset Rachel too much.  
  
Rachel sat in her bed, bewildered at the thought that she was carrying a baby.  
  
"Dad, can I…umm talk to Elizabeth for a minute?" asked Rachel cautiously.  
  
"Sure sweetie, Ella and I will go down to the cafeteria. Can I bring you girls a soda or something?" asked Mark trying to hide the fear he had for his daughter.  
  
" Sure, I'll have a Coke." Rachel replied.  
  
"Make that two!" Elizabeth said and smiled.  
  
Mark, with Ella in his arms gathered his and Ella's things and was out the door.  
  
"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, brushing Rachel's straight blonde hair from her face.  
  
"I don't know what to do, what to expect. I don't even know if I can handle being pregnant, with school and my play and all."  
  
"Oh sweetie, I understand. I went through it all."  
  
Rachel's eyes widened. "You mean you were…raped too?" Rachel asked inquisitively.  
  
Elizabeth nodded, trying to hold back the tears.  
  
"What did you do? Did you have the baby?" Rachel asked again.  
  
Elizabeth nodded. " I did. I didn't want to have an abortion. I was a bit older than you though. I was 17."  
  
"Then do you think I should have it?" Rachel asked, her wide eyes staring up at her step-mother.  
  
Elizabeth knew that Rachel looked up to her and what she was to say would make a big impact on her life. "I think you should do whatever you feel is right."  
  
"But what if-"  
  
"Hey girls, I'm back!" Mark's words interrupted their conversation. " Oh, sorry. Should I come back?" mark asked apologetically.  
  
"No its okay, dad." Rachel said and then whispered to Elizabeth. " let's finish our conversation at home, okay?"  
  
Elizabeth nodded and gave her step-daughter a kiss on the cheek. 


	3. the decision

A week went by and Rachel was still thinking about whether or not she should have the baby or not. Finally after many conversations with Elizabeth and after thinking long and hard, she made her decision.  
  
"Elizabeth? Can I talk to you?" Rachel asked in the living room of their house.  
  
"Sure Hon, have a seat!" She said and patted the couch.  
  
"Elizabeth, I am thinking of keeping the baby." Rachel said, swallowing a lump that began to form in her throat.  
  
"Sweetie, I think that's a very wise decision. I think that you can give this baby a life and that's the best gift someone could ever get." Elizabeth said and smiled.  
  
"You really think that?"  
  
"Honey, I wouldn't steer you wrong." Elizabeth replied.  
  
"Oh Elizabeth, what would I do without you?" Rachel asked.  
  
Elizabeth just smiled. " Go get washed up, dinner is almost ready."  
  
"Okay," Rachel said and stopped. "Elizabeth?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you." Rachel said and ran to give her stepmother a hug.  
  
"Honey you know I am always here for you." Elizabeth said, feeling a tear run down her cheek. She was happy that she made an impact on the growing girl's life.  
  
Later at dinner, Mark was very quiet. Rachel excused herself from the table to go practice her lines for the play.  
  
"Mark, what is it? You've been quiet all night." Elizabeth said worriedly.  
  
"Its just that…" Mark hesitated. "I'd just like to know what Rachel is going to do. I mean if she's having the baby or not."  
  
"Mark, I'm not sure if I should tell you this but…" this time Elizabeth hesitated. "Rachel is keeping the baby." She said trying to keep her voice low.  
  
Mark sat there in a daze. He didn't know what to think.  
  
"Mark, if Rachel does decide to tell you which I am sure she will, act surprised. I don't want her to be upset with me."  
  
Mark just nodded still not knowing what to say or do. He could not snap himself out of this daze he was in.  
  
"Mark, I think she's making the right decision. I mean if she keeps the baby, we can take over for her until she gets older. We can raise the baby for her." Elizabeth said.  
  
"Oh Elizabeth, we can't do that. We have Ella and she's a handful already and-"  
  
"Mark," Elizabeth cut him off. "We can do this. I have faith in us. Besides we were thinking of having another baby. Why not have a…temporary one!"  
  
"Well, let's get her through the pregnancy first and then we'll figure out what we'll do with the baby." Mark said and smiled a bit.  
  
9 months later  
  
"ELIZABETH!!!" Rachel screamed, holding her stomach.  
  
"Rachel? Is it time?" asked Elizabeth.  
  
"I think so! Oh God, Elizabeth it hurts! It hurts so bad!" Rachel exclaimed, wincing in pain.  
  
"Its okay sweetie!" Elizabeth said in a soothing voice.  
  
"Oh God, it feels like its coming out already!" Rachel exclaimed.  
  
"Mark…mark….Rachel, where's your father?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"He's at work," Rachel said and held her stomach once more. She was having another contraction.  
  
"Hop up on the bed for me, Rach."  
  
Rachel got up onto the bed and spread her legs. "Yep, you're fully dilated and ready to go! Lets get you to the hospital." Elizabeth said and led her stepdaughter to the car.  
  
Elizabeth helped Rachel into the car and then got in herself. Elizabeth backed out her driveway and sped down the road, hoping the police wouldn't catch her. All she wanted to do was to get her stepdaughter to County General so that she could have this baby out. Rachel seemed okay in the seat next to her. Every few minutes she would hold her stomach with one hand and the other would reach out to Elizabeth's hand and she would squeeze Elizabeth's hand when the pain got unbearable. As she was driving, she called the hospital so that they could have a gurney ready for her when she got there.  
  
Finally they reached the hospital and outside were Abby and a few other medical assistants with a gurney all ready for Rachel. Elizabeth helped Rachel out of the car and onto the Gurney. She was trying to stay focused on Rachel but she wondered where Mark was.  
  
Abby wheeled her into the ER with Elizabeth by her side, holding her hand. "Elizabeth? I think its really coming!" Rachel exclaimed, smiling a bit.  
  
Elizabeth smiled back. " Don't you worry sweetheart, we're gonna have this baby out really soon!"  
  
5 hours later  
  
"Come on Rach! One more push!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"YOU SAID THAT A WHILE AGO!!!!" Rachel screamed.  
  
"I know but this time I mean it…come on! One big push!"  
  
Suddenly, sounds of a screaming baby filled the room. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. "You did it!" Elizabeth exclaimed and kissed her step- daughter's forehead.  
  
"Congratulations Rachel," Abby smiled. " You've got yourself a baby girl!"  
  
"A baby girl…did you hear that Elizabeth? It's a girl!" Rachel said happily.  
  
"What are you going to name her?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Her name will be Elizabeth, after my favorite role model." Rachel said and smiled. "Elizabeth Anne Greene"  
  
Elizabeth felt a tear come down her cheek. "She's beautiful Rach. Looks just like her mommy!" Elizabeth said.  
  
"Hear that little one?" Rachel spoke softly to her new little baby.  
  
"We look alike!" 


End file.
